Sailing was cut from the Tokyo 2020 programme after the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) deemed that it did not fulfil their handbook's minimum criteria for worldwide reach.

This dictates that "only team sports widely and regularly practiced in a minimum of 24 countries and three IPC regions will be considered for inclusion in the Paralympic Games and for individual sports a minimum of 32 countries in three IPC regions".

Efforts to see the sport reinstated for the Games have so far failed, with sailing due to be axed after Rio 2016.

After receiving feedback from the IPC, World Sailing and the Para World Sailing Committee have begun the process of reviewing equipment used in Paralympic classes as attention turns to 2024.

World-wide distribution, the ease of logistics, costs and widening the range of disabilities covered were among the factors considered when selecting which boats would be taken to the first tests, which took place in Lake Garda, Italy.

“Our aim is to find new boats, with new solutions for the process of reinstatement in the 2024 Paralympics,” said Massimo Dighe, a Paralympic sailor and member of the Para World Sailing Committee.

“We are looking for a new boat that has to be cheaper and easy to manage, can simplify logistics and reduce costs for clubs and for sailors.

“Also a boat that can be used for able and disabled sailors, so clubs only have to buy one boat for every occasion.”

The Hansa 303, Hansa Liberty, Rs Venture, Weta Trimaran and Windrider AS1 boats were used in the first evaluation.

A second phase of testing is due to be carried out at the end of May, with at a preliminary decision then due to be taken in the summer.

A final decision on the equipment that could be used at future Games will then be taken at the end of the year.